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Machrihanish

Today was a slightly unusual morning and start to the day. We were due to leave at around 2.30pm so we could catch the tide round the Mull of Kintyre. Well actually get round on slack and let the tide do the rest.
I woke early 630 and went for a little explore walk taking in the beautiful old launch and the buildings surrounding it. I walked back through the golf course and to my suprise it was being browsed by some young cows. The green around each hole was fenced off with electric fencing to keep the cattle out. Only in Scotland.
As I returned to the tent I was amooosed to see the cows (obviously the same marauding bunch from last night) walking along the beach, looking like a gang of youths, with the same characteristics as an inquisitive town mob. I kept my distance to see what they would do with the tent and boats as we were on their turf (well sandy beach then). They surrounded the boat and tent and before any damage as one was trying to nibble on a toggle. This awoke katie and I was amused to see a dishevelled face poke it was out the tent. The cows decided enough was enough and decided to make their way back to the green.
We went for a walk to poach wifi from the pub. The pub was shut but there was something else.
We both heard a “help” badly we thought nothing of it until we heard it again. I went for a small walk around the back of the pub and there was an elderly gentleman face down in his garden asking for help. I ran to him through a hole in a hedge, katie and I assessed the situation and managed to get the old timer to his feel. Whoa he was still unsteady, katie got a chair and I got a coat. We frantically tried to phone his son and neibour. No one was available and the only people that would be available were in the village hall at cake sale. So I got to try out how much my running has degenerated whilst being sat in a boat for 6 weeks. Lets say I made it and got the neighbours without being too much of a mess and sampled some lovely biscuits too.
Anyway back to the kayaking. We got back to the boats via one of the lovely buildings near the slipway and charged our phones.
The day was actually one of the nicest we had had in a while and the sea was flat calm.
We departed and paced off at the next headland. The ever changing cliffs and valleys of this bit of coast showed the rugged face of eternal endurance.
Paddling off onto the sun was beautiful but as soon as we were port quater to the open Atlantic the sky changed to a dull grey and the sea changed colour. Wow how quickly it turned. There was running race sea and we cursed along. A lone lump of rusting metal something like an engine left a reminder of just how rough it can be here. I couldn’t believe how fast we had traveled. There was some swell rolling in but not too badly and crashing intermittently on the rocks, throwing up beautiful white water. We paddled into Machrihanish wit no bother to a reception of inquisitive seals following us disappearing as we turn to look. We landed and put up the tent had a boil in the bag meal and went off to steal wifi. We are around the Mull Of Kintyre. A big sigh as this was a bit of a little demon that had been niggling me for weeks.